That is because BMW chose to use fluids that are "supposedly" able to last the "normal expected lifetime" of the vehicle - assuming normal use.

This was done for 3 reasons:
- reduce maintenance costs (which is also a marketing factor for sales)
- environmental protection (less usage of oils, etc)
- they determined that many problems (usually with transmissions) were due to improper methods of changing fluids (letting dirt in) and also use of fluids that were not compatible with the design of the unit.

Not everyone agrees with the concept. BMW, and most of its dealerships, stand by the premise that it is not necessary to change lifetime fluids. Some will do it if you ask, others will not.

Some people argue that BMW admits they were wrong because they are now going back to limited time frame fluids (transmissions change at 100,000 miles). But the truth in that is BMW has reverted to using a slightly cheaper and differnt fluid - which is no longer "lifetime".
There may be various reasons why they did this (fluid cost and perhaps giving up on the fight with people who insist there is no such thing as lifetime fluid) In other words - give them what they want.


For a manual transmission there is no real issue - if you want to change the fluid go ahead - just make sure you use the correct fluid.
For an automatic it is another issue - if the process of changing the fluid disturbs or introduces any dirt or dust then the transmission may start to slip and then it is game over.
Some people have automaitics changed successfully - others have had problems. Your dealer may be making their decisions based on previous experience.

It is your car - you can do what you want - but it is best to weigh all "professional" opinions first.

Cheers
Jim Cash

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